Draft Inventory of HELCOM data needs to assess incidental by- catches, fisheries impact on benthic biotopes, in the Baltic Sea to support HELCOM indicator assessment work Basis for the proposal EU level: • New Data Collection Multiannual Plan DC-MAP for years 2017-2019 adopted by EC on 12 July 2016 (2016/1251) (Chapter III, 1.1 (b) and 3. collection of data to assess the impact of Union fisheries on the marine ecosystems, also Table 1D - Species to be monitored under protection programmes in the Union or under international obligations );
Inventory will support fulfilling HELCOM commitments Baltic Sea Action Plan Therefore WE AGREE to increase knowledge on and protection of Baltic Sea marine habitats, • by the promotion of research aiming at developing additional methods for the assessment of, and reporting on, the impacts of fisheries on biodiversity; • by the development and implementation of effective monitoring and reporting systems for by-caught birds and mammals;
Ministerial Declaration 2010 ALSO DECIDE • that core set of indicators with quantitative targets shall be developed for each of the segments of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, while ensuring that the indicators can also be used for the other international monitoring and reporting requirements inter alia the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and that a full indicator-based follow-up system for the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan be further developed and placed on the HELCOM website by 2013; • that the already initiated revision of the HELCOM monitoring programmes be finalized by 2013 and that it results in cost-effective joint monitoring, which fully supports the indicator-based assessment approach and monitoring of the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, and is in line with other international monitoring and reporting requirements;
Ministerial Declaration 2013 WE SUPPORT the further development and testing of the HELCOM generic decision-support tool to map possible negative impacts of specific gear types on threatened or declining species and habitats, and which helps to develop and/or recommend measures to address these; WE DECIDE to take action to reduce the negative impacts of fishing activities on the marine ecosystem and to this end, SUPPORT the development of fisheries management and technical measures to minimize unwanted by-catch of fish, birds and mammals in order to achieve the close to zero target for by-catch rates of the Baltic Sea Action Plan and minimize damage to sea bed habitats; WE AGREE to continue the work on strengthening ecosystem-based management for coastal fish populations, utilizing, and enhancing as far as possible, monitoring for assessment of coastal fish communities; WE AGREE to continue to work to develop common procedures to facilitate the sharing of aggregated data on fisheries activities in the Baltic Sea in an applicable format for the purpose of assessing pressures on marine and coastal ecosystems e.g. to be applied in maritime spatial planning. RECOGNIZING that recreational fisheries conducted e.g. from boats using commercial gears at a certain scale may contribute to fishing mortality of certain commercially exploited fish stocks and impacts on biodiversity, WE AGREE to ask for advice from Regional Coordination Groups within the EU Data Collection Framework and ICES on how to improve data collected on such recreational fisheries, with a view to evaluate the impacts of such recreational fisheries on the marine environment; WE SUPPORT the first set of core indicators of environmental status and pressures with the intention that they will form the basis of an indicator-based follow-up system for measuring progress towards achieving good environmental status with a full set of operational core indicators, and further STRESS that the joint coordinated monitoring by the Contracting Parties should provide the data necessary for regular updating of the HELCOM core indicators and assessments.
MarineStrategy Framework Directive HELCOM also supports countries being EU members in implementation of Marine Strategy Framework Directive (highly relevant is especially new Commission Decision laying down criteria and methodological standards on good environmental status of marine waters and specifications and standardised methods for monitoring and assessment, and repealing Decision 2010/477/EU – Member States should establish threshold values for biodiversity criterion D1C1 (by-catch) including sea mammals, birds and non-commercially exploited fish species, and Descriptor D6 (sea floor integrity). Habitats Directive EU members are also obliged to monitor bycatch of protected species by Habitats Directive (art. 12 Member States shall establish a system to monitor the incidental capture and killing of the animal species listed in Annex IV ) .
Basic scope of the Inventory To make two HELCOM CORE and pre-CORE indicators: • "Number of drowned mammals and waterbirds in fishing gear" • “Cumulative impact on benthic biotopes” operational.
Contents of the proposal • Setting the scene and justification for the proposal (why HELCOM needs these data); • Proposal for fisheries variables to be collected to ensure that bycatch data are fully operable for the bycatch indicator; • Table containing initial proposal for bycaught species to be monitored, including prioritisation for the bycatch indicator; • Initial proposal of habitats for the assessment of fisheries impact for the Cumulative impacts indicator; • Proposal for data to assist in the assessment of the impact of fisheries on marine habitats.
Request to S&C Meeting Protected species to be monitored Mammals • Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena (Western Baltic population: VU, Baltic Proper population: CR) – priority species • Baltic ringed seal Phoca hispida botnica (VU) – priority species • Grey seal Halichoerus grypus (LC) • Harbour seal Phoca vitulina vitulina (Kalmarsund population: VU, Southern Baltic population: LC) – priority species • European otter Lutra lutra (NT) – priority species All mammals in the list are protected under the EU Habitats Directive, further Bonn Convention (harbour porpoise, [Baltic grey and harbour seals]) and Berne Convention (harbour porpoise, European otter).
BIRDS • Black-throated diver Gavia arctica (wintering population, CR) – priority species • Red-throated diver Gavia stellata (wintering population, CR) – priority species • Long tailed duck Clangula hyemalis (wintering population, EN) – priority species • Razorbill Alca torda (breeding population; wintering population) • All birds in the list are protected under the EU Bird Protection Directive, Bonn Convention (AEWA), Berne Convention • Common guillemot Uria aalge (breeding population; wintering population) • Black guillemot Cepphus grylle (breeding population, NT; wintering population, VU) – priority species • Goosander Mergus merganser (breeding population; wintering population) • Red-breasted merganser Mergus serrator (breeding population; wintering population, VU) – priority species • Smew Mergellus albellus (wintering population) • Common goldeneye Bucephala clangula (wintering population) • Velvet scooter Melanitta fusca (breeding population, VU; wintering population, EN) – priority species • Common scooter Melanitta nigra (wintering population, EN) – priority species • Common eider Somateria mollissima (breeding population, VU; wintering population, EN) – priority species • Steller’s eider Polysticta stelleri (wintering population, EN) – priority species • Tufted duck Aythya fuligula (wintering population) – priority species • Common pochard Aythya ferina (wintering population) • Slavonian grebe Podiceps auritus (wintering population, NT) – priority species • Red-necked grebe Podiceps grisegena (wintering population, EN) • Great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus (wintering population) • Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (breeding population; wintering population)
Habitat data and how detailed should it be • AA.D and AB.D Baltic photic and aphotic maerl beds • AB.H2T1 Baltic aphotic muddy sediment characterized by sea-pens • AB.H1I2 Baltic aphotic muddy sediment dominated by Haploops spp. • AB.H3L3 Baltic aphotic muddy sediment dominated by ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) • 1130 Estuaries • 1170 Reef structures (stone reefs) • 1180 Submarine structures made by leaking gases • 1150 Coastal lagoons – please reconsider • 1110 Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time
Requests for a S&C Meeting It should be considered if additional data is needed concerning for example non-commercially exploited and protected fish species, to compliment other HELCOM CORE indicators such as: • “Abundance of key coastal fish species”; • “Abundance of coastal fish key functional groups” So far the Inventory does not contain fish species.
Requests for a S&C Meeting Provide an input for aim, scope, development and use of the Inventory for further HELCOM work.
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